Father Justin's Blog

Δεῦτε πάντες οἱ πιστοί, προσκυνήσωμεν τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἁγίαν ἀνάστασιν· ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἦλθε διὰ τοῦ Σταυροῦ
 χαρὰ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ.
 Διὰ παντὸς εὐλογοῦντες τὸν Κύριον, ὑμνοῦμεν τὴν ἀνάστασιν αὐτοῦ·
 Σταυρὸν γὰρ ὑπομείνας δι ̓ ἡμᾶς, θανάτῳ θάνατον ὤλεσεν.

Come, all ye faithful, let us worship Christ’s holy Resurrection, for behold, through the Cross joy hath come to the whole world. Forever blessing the Lord, we praise his Resurrection. He endured the Cross for us, and  by death destroyed death.

During the latter part of April, the sun’s rays enter the church aligned with its axis, which faces directly east.

The first rays of sunlight are more horizontal, and more tentative.

As the sun rises in the sky, its rays become more intense, and more at an angle.

Rays of sunlight stream down past the cross that is over the iconostasion.

This always brings to mind the verse, τοῦ ἀγαπήσαντός με καὶ παραδόντος ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ, “who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

Bell tower and minaret with the site of an ancient hermitage in the distance

The bell tower and minaret from three different angles

The bell tower and minaret with cloud covered mountains in the background.